


Submerge

by Toast_Senpai



Series: Within Water [2]
Category: Dive!! (Anime)
Genre: Astrology, First Dates, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 05:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12029142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toast_Senpai/pseuds/Toast_Senpai
Summary: Youichi and Tomoki get together.





	Submerge

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to Surface.  
> I loved that Tomoki sent Youichi flowers in episode 9 so I felt compelled to include that here.

Youichi was not expecting the large bouquet of white orchids on the table when he got home that evening. At first he thought they must have been from some secret admirer, a girl who went to his school or had seen him at a competition. But when he looked at the included tag he was momentarily confused. All it read was ‘ _yes_ ’ with only a T for the signature.

His mother peeked at him from the hallway. “Those are some lovely flowers, Youichi,” she said. “I wonder who this T is that sent such a mysterious message with them.”

Youichi fought to keep his face reserved. He picked up the pot and said, “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” He brushed past her.

Yoriko pouted and followed her son down the hall. “Someone must have a crush on my Youichi. I bet it’s a cute girl.”

Youichi came to an abrupt halt outside his room. Of course he wanted to refute that, except his mother was probably half right. Someone _may_ have a crush on him, and if it was someone whose name began with a T…

“Or,” Yoriko said suddenly, voice gone sly, “this isn’t from a cute girl at all, but one of Youichi’s close friends.”

Youichi stepped into his room and slid the door shut forcefully. He could hear his mother snickering on the other side of it as she walked away. Curse her perceptiveness. He set the flowers on his desk and reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. Then he selected Tomoki’s contact and pressed call.

It only rang once before Tomoki answered.

 _“Hey,”_ Tomoki answered. _“Did you get the flowers?”_ he asked, and there was definitely amusement in his voice.

“Of course I got them,” Youichi said. He sat down on his bed and stared at them. They _were_ beautiful things, in a proper full bloom and smelling sweetly. “But what’s with the note? You could have just texted or called. My mom thinks I have some admirer now.”

Tomoki laughed. _“Well, they were originally meant to be a congratulations for getting into the Olympics, but I thought they could also work as my response.”_

Youichi’s breath hitched. “So… you’re saying you’ll go out with me?” This was what he had been waiting for ever since they had returned home.

_“Yeah. I’m okay with giving it a try.”_

He didn’t know how to respond. To be honest, he had asked Tomoki on a whim. He’d been caught up in the moment on that hill with just the two of them and the moon and the sea. Now they were here in the city, going to practice and living as they always had been. And Tomoki, recently cheated on, was already willing to try something with him. Somehow it was embarrassing. _This_ was his first relationship. It wasn’t how he had imagined at all.

_“Youichi?”_

“Ah, I’m still here,” he said, fanning his warm face.

_“Do you want to go on a date this Saturday?”_

Without thinking, Youichi said, “I need to check the stars first.” He paused, then realized how stupid that must sound. “I mean- uh, I need to check my planner.”

_“All right. Just text me back later with your answer. I have to go now though. Talk to you soon?”_

“Yeah, sounds good. Bye.” Youichi quickly ended the call.

He fell back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. A date already. Is this how fast it was supposed to move? He held up his phone and opened the internet. The homepage was his most frequently visited site, one that had been providing him with daily horoscope readings. He hesitantly clicked on the _Love_ tab, a place he hadn’t dared to go before.

He knew that Tomoki was an Aries and found the compatibility with his own Leo self. There were many lengthy paragraphs dedicated to explaining how both were fire signs that had equal passion when it came to sports and competition. The rest talked about each signs’ nature and how they complimented each other quite perfectly. Youichi read every word carefully, thinking that this was indeed a good thing. He would have had a hard time dating someone whose star sign wasn’t seamlessly compatible with his own.

Youichi then checked on Saturday’s reading and when it turned out to be overwhelmingly positive, he texted Tomoki that the date was on. Tomoki sent him back a smiley face and a thumbs up. Youichi was anxious but also excited.

He sat up and went to his closet, ready to go through everything he owned to find an appropriate date outfit.

* * *

“The park?” Youichi asked as he closed the front door of his house behind him.

Tomoki stood off to the side, waiting. “Yeah. I thought we could just hang out there for a while. Unless you had something else in mind?”

Youichi started to walk and Tomoki joined him. “Anything is fine.” He honestly didn’t know how this was even supposed to work. Didn’t anything technically qualify as a “date” as long as two people were together and doing something? He shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

“You look nice,” Tomoki said.

Youichi glanced down at Tomoki. The boy looked nice too, in his blue striped shirt that matched his eyes. He wanted to say so but it felt weird. He opted for a quick, “Thanks.”

The park was only a ten minute walk from his house. It was a relatively small area with a few swings and a sandpit. Parked along the sidewalk next to it was a crepe van.

Youichi chose to ignore the vehicle, but Tomoki linked their arms and hurried them towards it.

“What flavor do you want? I’ll pay.”

Youichi planted his feet just before they got to the van. Tomoki gave him a confused look.

“We really shouldn’t be eating those. They have over five hundred calories.” Youichi could smell the sugar from here and it was a struggle not to turn away, to find a different park that didn’t have such a temptation outside of it.

Tomoki tilted his head and stood in front of Youichi. “It’s okay to have a treat sometimes. A few extra calories in the middle of the day isn’t going to hurt you.”

“But-”

“And you can get one with fruit in it, so it’ll be sort of healthy.” Tomoki smiled. “Come on, Youichi. Just this once. We’re on a date, remember?”

He really wanted to say no, but Tomoki was looking at him with such big, hopeful eyes that it was almost impossible to do so. Youichi sighed, his shoulders falling.

“Fine. But let me pay.”

Tomoki hummed. “If you insist.” He walked up to the van and ordered chocolate banana for himself while Youichi scanned the menu.

There were a lot of fruit options. If he wanted to stay away from most of the calories it would be good to not get anything with chocolate. He went with strawberry kiwi, light on the whipped cream. It wouldn’t be overly heavy and it would still be sweet enough.

Once the crepes were ready and paid for, they went over to the swings and sat down. Youichi was surprised there were no children at the park. It was comfortably empty, even more so when the crepe van drove away. The only other person they saw was an old man walking his dog that slowly passed by.

“This is nice,” Tomoki said, and there was a dab of chocolate sauce on his cheek.

A breeze ruffled their hair. Youichi thought that he could ignore the spot, but every time he glanced at Tomoki he saw it. Finally he gave in and reached over.

“Hold still,” he said, then swiped his thumb over the chocolate.

Tomoki watched him pop his finger into his mouth and wrinkle his nose. “What?” Tomoki asked with a grin. “Is it too sweet?”

Youichi nodded. “I don’t remember the last time I had chocolate.” He looked at his half eaten crepe. “Or even whipped cream.”

Tomoki’s face fell. “How’s that any fun?”

Youichi shrugged. “I only eat the exact amount of nutrition I need to keep me in shape. It’s important for diving. You should know that.”

“Yeah, but it’s also important to just _live_.”

There was the voice of coach Asaki in his head saying, _“You just have to do what you want. It’s your life, after all.”_ Youichi kicked at the dirt underneath his shoes. Of course both of them were right. He was only seventeen and had enormous talent, had trained his mind and body far more than many others. Far more than Tomoki, but Tomoki still had all that potential even while living freely, and was able to keep pushing himself further each day. Perhaps this relationship could help him learn how to cut loose a little bit.

“You okay?” Tomoki asked.

Youichi pushed off the ground and picked his feet up, his swing moving forward then back. “I’ll be all right,” he said. He meant it, too. It might take a while but he’d work his feelings out.

There was a comfortable silence between them for some time while they finished the crepes. Tomoki got up to throw away their wrappers, and when he came back he sat down and held out his hand towards Youichi.

It took a moment for him to stop the swing, and another for Youichi to look around the empty park. He carefully laced their fingers together. Tomoki’s hand was much warmer than his own, and Youichi hoped that his clammy palm doesn’t feel too gross. It took them a minute of trying to coordinate and soon they were both swinging at the same time.

Youichi wondered what it meant for his heart to feel like a panicked bird trapped in too small a cage. He felt so childish, and yet it was liberating. An odd mix of emotions that he never thought he could experience at the same time blended messily inside himself and he just didn’t know how to express it. He kept quiet and watched the clear sky slid away and the grass rush up every time he pumped his legs.

“So you’re big into astrology?” Tomoki asked.

The question was filled with genuine curiosity. Youichi thought deliberately about how he should approach it.

“I find it interesting,” he said. “It’s like giving someone else control for once, if that makes any sense.”

“I think I get it.” Tomoki then made a noise that indicated he had just thought of something. “I saw a shop on my way here that sells that kind of stuff. Do you want to check it out?”

Youichi didn’t know what ‘that kind of stuff’ was but it wouldn’t hurt to go have a look. They both dug their heels into the dirt until they came to a stop. Youichi relaxed his grip and had to wait a moment for Tomoki to do the same. Then they vacated the swings and said goodbye to the park.

The shop was small and run by an equally tiny old woman who sat half dozing behind the counter. The walls were floor to ceiling shelves lined with various bags of stones, sparkling gems, and of course books. Youichi didn’t know what any of the items were for. Tomoki picked up several marbles that looked like planets and rolled them around in his hand, making them clack together.

Youichi found a group of mini figures that represented the astrology signs. His own, Leo, was of a proud lion with a massive mane. He liked it but didn’t feel the need to buy it. Knickknacks weren’t really his thing.

“Hey, Youichi, these are on sale,” Tomoki said. He picked up a packet of cards. “I wonder what they’re for.”

Youichi inspected them. “They’re tarot cards. For divination.”

“To predict the future?”

“Something like that.”

Tomoki hummed. While he mulled something over, Youichi scanned the book titles to see if he recognized anything. It was true that he liked astrology, but it really wasn’t that deep. He enjoyed horoscopes and the possible affects the moon and sun could have on a person depending on the time of day or year. Although that was as far as he had looked into it.

He heard the clack and then chime of the cash register and turned to see that Tomoki was buying something. A minute later he was being ushered out of the store and Tomoki was pressing the wrapped stack of cards into his hands.

“You didn’t have to get me these,” Youichi said, trying and failing to keep a blush away.

“We’re on a date, plus you bought me the crepe. It’s only fair.”

“Well _you_ sent me expensive flowers.”

“My mom and dad paid for those.” Tomoki looked a bit shy, but it wore off in an instant.

“Fine. But we’re even now.” Youichi wanted to say _no more gifts_ except he knew that sooner or later one of them would get something for the other again.

Youichi slipped the cards into his pocket. They walked back to his house, hands brushing every now and again. There was something nice about not having to force conversation. It seemed to happen naturally, when either felt like speaking on a topic they had thought of, and ended much the same when it ran out of steam.

When they made it to Youichi’s, they stood in front of the gate. Youichi knew he should probably say some sort of thanks. That’s what one did at the end of a date, right? He prepared the words in his head as Tomoki stepped in front of him.

He was _going_ to speak, but then Tomoki kissed him and Youichi promptly forgot what he’d planned to say. It was just a simple press of lips, the same kind of chaste peck he had given Tomoki at Shibuki’s house except this time there was a hint of sweetness to it. Youichi wanted to pull the other into a hug. He resisted though. His mother could potentially be watching from a window. If she was, then she had seen this kiss, and logically a hug wouldn’t be any worse.

Before he could act on any swirling thought in particular, Tomoki pulled away. He was smiling, eyes bright. Youichi felt his own lips tip up.

“I know it wasn’t long, but it was still fun. We can hang out some day after practice if you want,” Tomoki said, giving Youichi’s arm a pat.

“Sure,” Youichi managed. He didn’t know _why_ he was having such trouble with his words when usually he spoke his mind freely. “Thanks for the cards.” As an afterthought, he added quickly, “And the kiss.” He looked at his house, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to breathe evenly.

Tomoki laughed. “I’ll talk to you later, Youichi.”

“See you, Tomo.”

Youichi pushed open the gate and walked to the door. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Tomoki hadn’t moved. He raised a hand, and Tomoki waved back.

Tomoki called, “Text me if you get bored later.”

“Will do,” Youichi said. Then he added, “If you ever need homework help, let me know.”

That had Tomoki grinning. “Careful, I might just take advantage of you.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” Youichi bit his tongue, not believing that he’d just said that. He hurriedly opened the door, and after one more wave, went inside.

He leaned back against the solid wood and sighed. It would take some time but he could definitely get used to this whole going out thing.


End file.
